Fire-extinguishing apparatus



(No Model.)

H. WYMAN.

PIRE BXTINGUISHING APPARATUS.

No. 392,250. Patented Nov. 6, 1888.

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ihvrrn Srnrns `HORACE VYMAN, OF VORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

-FIREXTINGUISHING APPARATUS,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 392,250, dated November 6, 1888.

Application tiled February 2,1885. Serial No. 154,642. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Hormon WYMAN, of the city and county of Worcester, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Fire-Extinguishing Apparatus, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like letters on the drawing representing like parts.

My invention relates to a {ire-extinguishing apparatus of that kind which forms a permanent part of the building or structure to be protected, the Water or reextinguishing material being automatically discharged or permitted to iloW when a fire takes place by the action of material sensitive to changes in temperature, usually by the melting of material or solder fusible at a low temperature.

The linvention is embodied in apparatus of that class in which the Water employed for eX- tinguishing the lire is normally kept excluded from distributing-pipes in the building by a main valve, which is permitted to open upon the breaking or opening of one of the sprinlr lers or fusible plugs by a rise in temperature.

In my invention the main water-valve is normallyheld upon its seat by the unbalanced pressure of the air at one side of a piston connected with the main water-valve, so that a given air-pressure on the said piston is able to overcome and restrain a greater waterpressure for the same area on the water-valve, which is normally kept seated against the pressure of the water in the main or supplying pipe. The unbalanced air-pressure is shown as produced by exhausting the air from the water-distributing pipes, or an independent set of air-pipes in proximity thereto, thus leaving the unbalanced atmospheric pressure eX- ternal to the apparatus acting on the piston, which preferably has a larger area acted on by the air than the area of the main valve exposed to the pressure ofthe water, and is connected with the said main Water-valve by a lever which gives mechanical advantage to the piston acted upon by the atmospheric pressure.

Apparatus has been previously made in which a main valve has been held seated by the pressure of air Within the pipes, instead of by the external atmospheric pressure; but in practice it is very difficult to maintain the internal pressure for any considerable length of time, as it is very difficult to discover the minute leaks through which the air escapes, or to stop from the outside of the pipes the leaks through which the air escapes from the inside of the pipes, I have discovered that this objection may be almost, if not entirely, 'overcome by maintaining the valve seated by the atmospheric pressure While the air is rareied in the pipes, for in this plan theleaks of the pipes may be easily stopped by the applica tion of paint or a similar covering to the outside of the pipes, in which case the external pressure of the air tends to force the paint or similar material into the leaks, tightly closing them wherever they may be. As itis, however, almost impossible to maintain an absolutelyuniform pressurein the pipes or other confined spaces differing materially from the pressure external to the said pipes for an indefinite period of time, the apparatus is provided with an air-pump, which may be automatically operated by a motor actuated by the water in the main pipe to maintain the pressure substantially uniform in the pipes.

This system may be designated a vacuum7 system, that being its principle of operation. In my application, Serial No. 157,472, filed March 2, 1885, I have set forth an airpressure system.

The drawing shows, mainly in vertical section, a tire-extinguishing apparatus embodying this invention, the Water-distributing and air pipes being shown in elevation.

The main pipe a, containing water under pressure, enters a valve apparatus, A, consisting of a chamber, b, communicating with the main or inlet pipe c, and a chamber, c, com municating with the distributingpipes B, provided with suitable distributing or sprinkling devices, d, normally kept sealed or closed by a material sensitive to changes in tempera` ture-such, for instance, as solder fusible at a low temperature, slightly above the highest natural temperature of the atmosphere.

The Water is normally kept from passing from the chamber b to the chamber c and distributing-pipes by the main water-valve e, consisting of a piston or disk on a stem, f, which piston is normally seated upon a shout der, or seat, b', against the pressure of water in the chamber I). rllhe stem f passes through a cylindrical neck, b2, from the chamber b into the external atmosphere,being either provided IOO with a suitable stuffing-box or packing, or preferably, as shown, with a piston, 7), fitti ng in the neck b and tightly closing the same, the pressure of the water on the said piston partly balancing that on the piston e, tending to open the valve, although the said piston c is enough larger than the one 7) to enable the water to open the valve except when prevented by other means. The said stem f is connected by link f with the short arm of the lever g, having its long arm connected with a piston, 7l, fitting air-tight within the cylinder fi, and exposed to unequal air-pressure on its opposite sides, heilig shown, in this instance, as receiving the atmospheric pressure on its upper side and acted upon by a lower pressure or partial vacuum at its under side.

The space in the cylinder i below the piston 7L is preferably connected with a series of airpipes, 7.', which may be of small diameter and are provided with orifices 7.1', normally closed or sealed by sensitive material and placed in proximity to the distributors 7, so that a rise intcmpcrature which would cause the opening of one of the distributors would also cause the opening of the adjacent orifices 7:', admitting air to the pipe 7.?, thus destroying the vacuum in the cylinder below the piston 71 so thatthc pressure on both sides of the latter would be balanced and would no longer tend to hold the valve c to its scat.

By giving the piston 71 greater leverage than the valve-stem f, and also by making the said piston 7L of greater area than the one c, or greater than the difference between the one e and the one b, a comparatively slight pressure on the upper side of the piston 7L is sufficient to retain the valve e seated against a far greater pressure per square inch in the main pipe a.

rIlhc vacuum-chamber in the cylinder i below the piston 7L may be connected with the distributing-pipes B, and the vacuum maintained iu the latter, instead of in the pipe 7u, which pipe 7.1 might in this construction be omitted, the vacuum being destroyed by the opening or unsealing of one of the distributors 7, or other orifices, d', adjacent thereto. rIhe cylinder 'i is shown as connected with the distributing-pipes B by apipe, m, provided with a cock, a, so that communication may be cut off or established between the cylinder t and pipes I3, as may be desired. As shown in this instance, the valve-stem j' is provided with a large piston, o, fitting within a cylinder, o, below the outlet-chamber c of the valve, the said piston and cylinder' serving partly as a guide for the valve-rod in its movement, and also operating, in case the distributing-pipe B and chamber c constitute a portion of the vacuum-space, as described, to retain the valve c on its seat, the said piston o heilig exposed tothe atmospheric pressure at its under side, and being of greater area than the piston 71, which is exposed to atmospheric pressure in the opposite direction.

As it is very difficult, if not impossible, to make piping perfectly fight, the air-pump p, which is employed to remove the air from the cylinder i? below the piston 71 and the connected piping, is preferably connected with a motor, p', which may be, for instance, such as shown in Letters Iatent No. 141,747, dated November 18, 1873, or of any suitable construction operated by the water in the pipe a passing to the said motor through a branch pipe, p2, the relative areas of the pistons in the motor p and pump p, or the mechanical connection between the said pistons,bein g such that the pressure ofthe water in the pipe a on the piston of the motor will be balanced by the airpressure on the piston of thc pump when the desired difference in air-pressure on the opposite sides of the piston 7i has been produced.

In this my invention, by simply exhausting or rarefying the air in a chamber provided with a movable partition or diaphragm exposed on one of ifs sides to the pressure of the atmosphere, and by connecting this diaphragm to the stop-valve, I am enabled to utilize this direct pressure of the atmosphere to hold the valve closed. The equalizing of the pressure in the chamber to that of the atmosphere will remove this pressure from the Valve and permit the pressure of the water in the supplypipe to open the valve and flow to the distributing or sprinkler pipes. I am thus enabled by the direct pressure of the atmosphere, and entirely without other holding mechanism or without the employment of mechanical devices, to retain the stop-valve closcd,or to open it by removing that pressure.

l claim 1. In a fire-extinguishing apparatus, the combination, with an air-chamber provided with a movable partition or head, and having an internal pressure different from that of the atmosphere, and with a connected pipe pro vided with a closed aperture or apertures fitted to open by a rise of' temperature ofthe surrounding atn'iosphcre, of a water-supply pipe provided with a stop-valve held to its seat by the normal pressure of the air-chamber actingr on the movable partition, whereby when the air-pressure in said chamber is restored to that of the atmosphere the pressure will be removed from the said valve, and the pressure of the water in the supply-pipe will open the said valve and admit water from the supply-pipe to the discharge or spri nkler pipe for the extinguishment of fires, substantially as described.

2. In an automaticfire-extinguishing appa rains, a main supplypipe and distributing pipes, and a main valve controlling the flow of water from the former to the latter, and airpipes governing by changes in pressure there in the operation of the main valve, and an airpump and motor therefor automatically operated by the water in the main pipe below the main valve, whereby the pressure is maintained substantially uniform in said pipes while in their normallysealed condition, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of the main and dis IOO tributing water-pipes a and B, respectively, the valve e, seated in a chamber between the said pipes and against the pressure of the water in pipe a, the valve-stemf, the piston h, 5 and the lever Lf/,connecting the stem f and piston, and the chamber i, containing the piston and opening normally tothe external atmosphere above. the piston, substantially as described. ro 4. An air-chamber provided with a movable piston and connected pipe with closed apertures therein containing an air-pressure different from that of the atmosphere, combined with a water-Supply pipe anda disr 5 charge or sprinkler pipe with a stop-valve between them, and a connection between said valve and air-chamber piston, whereby the atmospheric pressure produced upon said valve by the said difference in pressure acts to hold the stop-valve closed and exclude the water from the sprinkler-pipe, substantially as del scribed.

5. A stop-valve with a head to prevent the passage of water, its spindle, and an additional 25 head to receive a eounteracting pressure from the water, combined with a chamber having an internal pressure different from that of the atmosphere, and provided with a movable piston with one side exposed to the pressure of the atmosphere, a connected pipe with closed 3o apertures fitted to open by a risc in temperature of the surrounding atmosphere, and a connection from said piston to said valve to act with the additional counteracting head with an excess of pressure to hold said valve 3 5 closed7 whereby upon a rise of temperature in the surrounding atmosphere sufcient to open the closed apertures the excess of pressure upon said valve will be removed and the waterpressure will act upon the valve and permit 4o the water to fiow to the sprinkler-pipes, sub- Y stantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HORACE VYMAN. 

